Preventing public meltdowns: How to curtail public temper tantrums

Many parents, if not most, have had to deal with it. A child kicking and screaming in public. This is a normal behavior in children. However, there are ways to pacify a temper tantum in a child when in public. None of these methods involve punishment or force of any kind.

Preventing public meltdowns are a part of the Christian doctrine of mutual submission. See Colossians 3:20-21 KJV:

Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord. Fathers, provoke not your children to anger, lest they be discouraged.

The Greek root word translated "obey" is υπακουο (Latin: hupakouo) and refers to secure, vulnerable rest in the love and submission of parents. This word ultimately refers to a secure attachment between parent and child. This secure attachhment comes from parent submission, where parents are to submit to children just as they would God, from beneath yet from above, expecting absolutely nothing in return. See also Matt. 22:35-40, 25:31-46.

The Greek root word translated "provoke...to anger" is ερεθιζο (Latin: erethizo) and refers to damages or offenses, namely the slightest of personal offense perceived by a child, including, but limited to, the slightest of offensive touch or speech perceived by a child, stemming from entitlement. This commandment was intended by the Apostle Paul, and was understood in its original context, as a moral statute prohibiting all forms of punitive parenting, including, but not limited to, any punishments, reprimands, or other controlling demeanor towards children. In the Old Testament, punitive parents were put to death by way of bloodletting, after punishing their children one last time. The parents who punished their children were charged with kidnapping, with "kidnapping" being defined under the Law as the slightest of damages or offenses stemming from hostage-taking - child punishment was seen as holding your child hostage merely for things that they did wrong, thereby treating a child as a quartered slave. Paul here was lifting up the Law in order to convict a group of Greek Christians who brought their pagan custom of spanking and punishing children into the church. Paul, contrary to popular legend, was anti-spanking, and opposed any and all punishment in his secular writings. Paul may not have gotten along with the women of the church, and even took in a few orphaned children during his time as a deacon.

Public meltdowns were pretty much absent in the Early Church, and that was because young children were wrapped up in swaddling blankets, thereby pacifying the cries of children, for only mom to hear. When children under age 6 were out and about in public, mom wrapped up her child in swaddling blankets, with this closeness coming in the form of skin-on-skin warmth. From there, mothers tucked their children underneath the loose-fitting, revealing dress that resembled an apron. However, beforehand, mothers tied the swaddling blankets - and the child with them - from the left breast, and then across the dot to the right leg, or vice versa, or both in the case of twins. Whenever children cried, their cries were pacified by being swaddled next to the bosom of mothers. Mothers, when children cried, held the crying child closer to her bosom. In most cases, the child cried when they wanted an item off of the shelf. However, most of the time, all children had to do was point to the item, and then mothers got the item off of the shelf.

Older children were instead given spending money whenever mothers were doing errands at market. Children then would buy foods and candies that they liked. However, they quickly learned the finite nature of money. With that said, children did not have to do chores or work to earn the money, with this money being free money. Running out of money was a natural consequence for the child, in which case mom would pay for the rest of the items picked out by the child. Children at that age relegated their meltdowns to the privacy of their own homes.

Most of the time, children throw a temper tantrum upon hearing the word "no". However, under the customary law of the time, by default, ordered parents to heel to the commands of their children, just as they would to God, with children resting safely and securely in relation to mom. The only valid reasons for saying "no" as a Christian parent in the Early Church was when the commands from children were unsafe, unworkable, and/or immoral. When parents said "no", they were required to, by way of customary law, give an explanation for why they said "no", as well as reassurance in order to cushion the blow. Most of the time, parent and child struck up a compromise, thus avoiding a flat out "no".

The depraved and entitled parents who provoke their children to anger through punitive parenting will not inherit the Kingdom of God! Let them be cast forever into the lake of fire and burning sulfur, which is the second death prepared for Satan and his accomplices! Let them descend into the abyss which is the ever-burning Hell of fire and torment, suffering God's Wrath day and night forever and ever! Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!